A86 Laggan along Loch Laggan

[styles]

I'm planning some Munro bagging for the summer and looking at options.

I'll be staying in Laggan for a couple of nights, with my bike in tow.

One day looking at Laggan to Aberarder Forest.

The main car park is the main sensible option for a circular walking route to bag Creag Meagaidh, Stob Poite Coire Ardair, and Carn Liath. My main concern here is locking the bike up. The car park is hard to see on Street View/satellite imagery, but it doesn't look like there's any bike stands. It's a popular car park and doesn't appear to be much in the way of CCTV. Normally I don't mind leaving my bike places up in the Highlands but I tend to avoid tourist hotspots, which seems trickier here. The other option is attaching it to a road sign post on the opposite side of the road. I contemplated walking it into the forest a bit and attaching it to a tree out of sight, but it's a bit of effort.

Second day looking at Laggan to Roughburn for Beinn a'Chaorainn and Beinn Teallach. There's not really much to lock it to here except a railing on the bridge, so that'll have to do!

Am I overthinking this/being paranoid?

Won't be any panniers or anything left on it as I'll just be taking my daysack on my back, leaving the panniers at the hut.

This will be my first cycle in a couple of years as slow Achilles tendonitis healing has kept me off unmotorised two wheels.

On a side note, how is the A86 along Loch Laggan for cycling? It looks pretty flat and not many sharp corners. Love a good lake-side cycle!

 

[Baldy]

Find a tree out of sight, there's plenty. The main A86 is not somewhere I'd ride, far too many car's going far too fast. There's loads of gravel tracks to go at.

 

[styles]

Find a tree out of sight, there's plenty. The main A86 is not somewhere I'd ride, far too many car's going far too fast. There's loads of gravel tracks to go at.

Yeah I would've preferred some off-road route, but at least on OS maps, most of the navigable parts of the forests appear to be on the south side of the loch? Suppose I could just head into the forest and 'natural compass' it west as best I can.

 

[orraloon]

I did do Newtonmore to Fort William via A86 Laggan on a Sunday in May 15 years or so back, was ok then, just one close pass by a plonker towing a caravan. Not NC500 territory!

 

[Baldy]

I did do Newtonmore to Fort William via A86 Laggan on a Sunday in May 15 years or so back, was ok then, just one close pass by a plonker towing a caravan. Not NC500 territory!

15 years ago?

 

[orraloon]

Aye, no been that way for a while. Was part of a bikepack via B&Bs doing a coast to coast Speyside Way over to Fort William and back up the Great Glen to Inverness, with some diversions e.g. pre Harry Potter fandom era training to Mallaig. Really enjoyed it.

 

[Pblakeney]

I'm planning some Munro bagging for the summer and looking at options.

I'll be staying in Laggan for a couple of nights, with my bike in tow.

One day looking at Laggan to Aberarder Forest.

The main car park is the main sensible option for a circular walking route to bag Creag Meagaidh, Stob Poite Coire Ardair, and Carn Liath. My main concern here is locking the bike up. The car park is hard to see on Street View/satellite imagery, but it doesn't look like there's any bike stands. It's a popular car park and doesn't appear to be much in the way of CCTV. Normally I don't mind leaving my bike places up in the Highlands but I tend to avoid tourist hotspots, which seems trickier here. The other option is attaching it to a road sign post on the opposite side of the road. I contemplated walking it into the forest a bit and attaching it to a tree out of sight, but it's a bit of effort.

Second day looking at Laggan to Roughburn for Beinn a'Chaorainn and Beinn Teallach. There's not really much to lock it to here except a railing on the bridge, so that'll have to do!

Am I overthinking this/being paranoid?

Won't be any panniers or anything left on it as I'll just be taking my daysack on my back, leaving the panniers at the hut.

This will be my first cycle in a couple of years as slow Achilles tendonitis healing has kept me off unmotorised two wheels.

On a side note, how is the A86 along Loch Laggan for cycling? It looks pretty flat and not many sharp corners. Love a good lake-side cycle!

Seats down, inside the car?

 

[styles]

Seats down, inside the car?

Am taking the train, otherwise good shout!

 

[Pblakeney]

Am taking the train, otherwise good shout!

Ah, the mention of the car park sent me down the wrong road. 😉

 

[styles]

Ah, the mention of the car park sent me down the wrong road. 😉

Yeah, almost annoyingly, from Harveys/OS maps, they appear to be the idea locations with not many alternatives. Maybe I need to scope it out on Street Views to find some non-car-park way to join the tracks.

 

[wakemalcolm]

I camped at Creag Megaidh last year. Just locked my bike to a barbecue table overnight and it was fine.
It's actually a ranger station in itself and you'll probably find someone to have a chat with about locking options if you're paranoid.
Rode some of the 86. Seems to be used by people who know what they're doing and just want to get on with it. I also rode the track along the lochan na earba which was spectacular. You can link it with a forest road to the top of Loch Ericht too. Beyond that there are options to be off road down to Fort William but I missed a turning when tired and main roaded it down to Spean Bridge.
Simon Willis' West Coast Cycle Trail and Cycle dot Travel do a decent job of describing the route.

 

[styles]

I camped at Creag Megaidh last year. Just locked my bike to a barbecue table overnight and it was fine.
It's actually a ranger station in itself and you'll probably find someone to have a chat with about locking options if you're paranoid.
Rode some of the 86. Seems to be used by people who know what they're doing and just want to get on with it. I also rode the track along the lochan na earba which was spectacular. You can link it with a forest road to the top of Loch Ericht too. Beyond that there are options to be off road down to Fort William but I missed a turning when tired and main roaded it down to Spean Bridge.
Simon Willis' West Coast Cycle Trail and Cycle dot Travel do a decent job of describing the route.

Yeah I definitely think it'll be worth a return trip from a ride across to Fort William one day. If I'd planned it a little differently, I could've booked my return from from Fort William instead of Newtonmore, but the thought didn't cross my mind until the other day!